Tickets

In Zoo Ethics students find themselves sitting on a Zoo Ethics Board faced with a real-life dilemma. After an introduction to the purpose of the modern zoo and the different stakeholders and decision makers present, students are given a number of dilemmas and asked to put themselves in the shoes of these individuals to come up with a solution. Students discover the complexity around ethical decision making as well as how ethics can change with culture, time and perspective.

Age: KS4 (14 - 16 years old) Duration: 50 minutes Capacity: 35 students  Indoor Workshop
Zebra at Whipsnade Zoo

Intended learning outcomes:

Students will be able to:

  • List the different areas of ZSL, the ZSL vision and purpose
  • Work in groups as an ethics committee to decide on a particular zoo related topic
  • List the different people involved in making ethical decisions at a zoo
  • Discuss the different perspectives involved in making decisions in a zoo

Online Teaching Resources:

AQA GCSE Biology (8461) curriculum links
4.7.3.1 Biodiversity
  • Biodiversity is the variety of all the different species of organisms on earth, or within an ecosystem.
  • A great biodiversity ensures the stability of ecosystems by reducing the dependence of one species on another for food, shelter and the maintenance of the physical environment.
  • The future of the human species on Earth relies on us maintaining a good level of biodiversity. Many human activities are reducing biodiversity and only recently have measures been taken to try to stop this reduction
4.7.3.1 Maintaining biodiversity
  • Students should be able to describe both positive and negative human interactions in an ecosystem and explain their impact on biodiversity.
  • Scientists and concerned citizens have put in place programmes to reduce the negative effects of humans on ecosystems and biodiversity.
  • These include: •
    • breeding programmes for endangered species
    • protection and regeneration of rare habitats
OCR GCSE (9-1) Gateway Science Biology A Specification links
B6.1 Monitoring and maintaining the environment
  • B6.1b describe both positive and negative human interactions within ecosystems and explain their impact on biodiversity
  • B6.1c explain some of the benefits and challenges of maintaining local and global biodiversity
Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Biology Specification Links
Topic 9 -Ecosystems and material cycles
  • 9.9 Explain the positive and negative human interactions within ecosystems and their impacts on biodiversity, including:
    • fish farming
    • introduction of non-indigenous species
    • eutrophication
  • 9.10 Explain the benefits of maintaining local and global biodiversity, including the conservation of animal species and the impact of reforestation
Loading...